Bulls fully clear Lauri Markkanen after rapid heart rate scare

The Bulls announced Thursday that their second-year forward is cleared to resume all basketball activities after undergoing a series of tests by cardiologists at Rush University Medical Center and Johns Hopkins University.

Markkanen didn’t play the second half of the Bulls’ March 26 road game in Toronto after complaining of fatigue and a rapid heart rate. He stayed overnight for testing in Toronto and then underwent a variety of tests examined by Bulls team physicians and other cardiologists that revealed no abnormalities in his heart.

Markkanen wore a heart monitor during his workouts after the incident to collect data. In a release, the team said Dr. Richard Trohman, co-director of cardiology and director of electrophysiology, at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and Dr. Hugh Calkins, director of electrophysiology at Johns Hopkins University, determined “the cause of Markkanen’s symptoms to be primarily related to a combination of dehydration and nutrient deficiency.”

Markkanen has said he’ll split time between his native Finland and Chicago this offseason. He vowed to add strength and improve his lateral quickness.